Tag Archives: Karen Kodzik

Last week, I talked about a program that career coach, Karen Kodzik, and I created called Build A Boss. We noticed a gap in how managers are trained—many are only trained on bare bones office mechanics and not how to effectively lead people—so we sought to fill that gap. In last week’s post, I discussed new leaders and how Build A Boss can help them achieve success in four key areas. This week, I’m going to focus on established leaders and how they can get back on their feet after a significant change.

I’ve worked with many people who have years of leadership experience in a certain area. Then, a change happens. Maybe they move to a new company, shift positions within their current place of employment, or are faced with a drastic restructuring of their company’s way of operating.

Whatever the case, this kind of change can be jarring for a manager who has only practiced a certain brand of leadership. Fortunately, there are coaching companies like UXL that can help established leaders bounce back and reimagine and reinvigorate their leadership.

Although it is helpful to enlist the help of a coach, there are certain things you can do on your own to help you through a difficult leadership transition. Try these six “quick tips.”

Quick Tip 1:

Set aside “you time.” Take the time to reflect upon your personal attributes and strategize on how to build your strengths.

Quick Tip 2:

Don’t get caught up in your perceived weaknesses. You can’t be good at everything! Practice smart delegation and enlist the help of your team.

Quick Tip 3:

Schedule more one-on-one meetings. Getting to know and understand each team member is crucial for building trust, understanding their areas of strength, and understanding team dynamics.

Quick Tip 4:

Take an effective, science-based self-assessment AND have your team take it as well. One of my favorites is Insights Discovery.

Quick Tip 5:

Open up your communication. Create ample opportunity for your team to give (and receive!) feedback. During meetings, make sure to be inclusive and encourage everyone to share their thoughts and ideas.

Quick Tip 6:

Be goal-oriented. Set small monthly and quarterly goals, as well as one or five-year goals. Remind yourself of your goals often. Be sure to set both personal and team goals.

Established leaders can learn new tricks. Open yourself to new ways of practicing leadership and remember, there’s no need to go it alone! Enlist the help of a coachand seek support from your team members and fellow managers. Leadership is an ever-changing thing and it’s always a good idea to refresh your ideas about what it means to be an effective, capable leader.

Know an emerging leader? Or someone in a new supervisory role?
Our next Build A Boss workshop series is at St. Kate’s University on May 11, 18, and 25.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS®DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM

I’ve met a lot of people who were promoted to a management position, given their corner office, and then left alone to fend for themselves. It’s possible they were given basic information on the mechanics of running the office—when to do annual reviews, what financial reports to file, who to call when their computer is on the fritz—but they are seldom trained in on how to lead.

Leadership is not something that new managers should have to figure out on their own. There’s a real art to successfully engaging and motivating a team, dealing with conflict resolution, and achieving results through effectively delegating work to employees.

How can new leaders build those skills?

Sure, they can read leadership books or attend seminars, but it’s difficult to sift through all that information and really get to the crux of effective leadership. That’s where programs like Build A Boss* come in.

Career coach, Karen Kodzik, and I saw a gap in the marketplace a few years ago for developing new managers into leaders. Many managers were struggling with team dynamics, communication, or achieving the kind of results that their companies expected. With that in mind, Karen and I set about creating Build A Boss, a program that takes a four-pronged approach to leadership:

We start with helping new leaders develop a deep understanding of themselves. This is the root of excellent leadership and helps to open the door to understanding others. By building emotional intelligence, a new leader can bolster their personal brand, improve communication, and increase their confidence.

One of the most commonly overlooked (and vitally important!) areas for managers to develop their skills is in one-on-one interactions. These private meetings between a manager and team member are important for building trust, getting to know each other’s areas of strength, and soliciting feedback that can be used to improve the current system.

How does a leader select a team for a particular project? How can she capitalize on individual strengths? Or avoid team conflict? Selecting and building a team is no small task. And once a team is established, how does a leader keep them focused and motivated? Our Build A Boss program gives new leaders tools and methods to help build a powerhouse team and keep them engaged and results-driven.

A manager’s relationship with his organization is an essential piece of the leadership puzzle. Ultimately, how a manager performs can either help or hinder the organization’s goals. It’s incredibly easy for managers to get bogged down in day-to-day details and forget about their place in the big picture. We encourage leaders to pull themselves away from the trees and begin seeing the forest! This perspective can help them better develop their personal brand, earn office-wide recognition, and develop forward-thinking stratagems to carry themselves and their organization forward.

As a leader, have you considered these four areas as they apply to your work? Do one or more of the areas need improving? You’re certainly not alone!

Instead of struggling through your difficulties, DO SOMETHING about them. Start taking proactive measures to improve your one-on-one communication or your team building expertise. If you’d like additional guidance, please reach out and contact me. I’d love to talk over your situation and help you make the most of your leadership.

* Please note: Build A Boss is meant for either new or established leaders. I focused on new leaders in this blog post, but next week I’ll touch on established leaders who are facing challenges. Stay tuned!

UPCOMING BUILD A BOSS WORKSHOP:

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS®DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM